Germany, once the most feared tank-maker in the world, is now experiencing trouble with the Leopard.
When it comes to weapons designs, the Germans have long been innovators. Indeed, German semiautomatic pistols (the Borchardt C-93, C96 Broomhandle Mauser, P08 Pistole Parabellum ”Luger”, Walther P-38); assault rifles (the STG-44 Sturmgewehr) tanks (the WWII Tiger tank); jet fighters (the Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe); rocket fighters (the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet); and cruise missiles and ballistic missiles (the V-1 and V-2, respectively) have impressed Germany’s allies and enemies alike.
So then, imagine my surprise when I read a recent report about German-made weapons systems failing on the battlefields of Ukraine.
Failing German Weapons?
The story comes from an NGA article reshared on MSN on April 12, 2025, titled “German weapons reveal flaws in Ukraine battlefield fight.” For starters:
“The German weapon systems supporting Ukraine in the conflict are encountering serious challenges. According to Spiegel, the deputy military attaché of the German embassy in Kyiv pointed out problems with their effectiveness. The report indicates that the Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000), although considered advanced, is technically prone to failures, raising doubts about its usefulness in combat.”
Coincidentally, back on February 25, 2025, we at The National Interest already shared some bad news about the PzH 2000, noting that the Russians were celebrating the destruction of one of these howitzers with a fiber-optically controlled first-person view (FPV) drone, Moreover, the weapons system had suffered a 7.4 percent attrition rate as of the time of that article’s publication.
But it’s not just Germany’s howitzers that are suffering from in-field maladies. Germany, once arguably the most feared tank-maker in the world, is now experiencing trouble in the proverbial paradise as well:
“The Leopard 1A5 and Leopard 2A6 tanks also fall short of expectations. The Leopard 1A5 is used as improvised artillery due to its weak protection, while the Leopard 2A6 is too expensive to maintain and difficult to repair on the front lines. Air defense systems such as the IRIS-T and Patriot also have limitations, mainly due to costs and a lack of spare parts.”
An observation here: the “weak protection” of the Leopard 1A5 is a sharp contrast to the aforementioned Tiger of WWII, which was so heavily armored that only its rear end could be penetrated by the 75mm main gun rounds of the American M4 Sherman. Meanwhile, the excessive expense and the maintenance-unfriendliness of the Leopard 2A6 closely parallel the flaws of the overengineered Tiger. In other words, the worst of both worlds. Oh, the irony.
Not All Bad News
NGA balances its story with some good news as well, thus saving the once-vaunted German arms industry from total embarrassment and loss of face:
“For example, the Gepard anti-aircraft system is praised for its reliability and effectiveness. It is described as ‘the most popular, effective, and reliable weapon system in Ukraine.’ Meanwhile, the Mars rocket systems ‘change the rules of the battlefield,’ but are only partly suitable for combat because, unlike their American counterparts, they do not support cluster munitions.”
That praise for the Flakpanzer Gepard (“anti-aircraft-gun tank ‘Cheetah’”) is especially remarkable in light of the fact that the design is over sixty years old and was indeed retired by the German Bundeswehr in 2010; it is equipped with twin 35mm Oerlikon KDA autocannons, capable of firing a combined total of 1,100 rounds per minute. As for the MARS II MLRS-E rocket system, it’s essentially a German variant of the American M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System; it has been in German service since 1990.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr
Christian D. Orr was previously a Senior Defense Editor for National Security Journal (NSJ) and 19FortyFive. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch, The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security, and Simple Flying. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of the Naval Order of the United States (NOUS). If you’d like to pick his brain further, you can ofttimes find him at the Old Virginia Tobacco Company (OVTC) lounge in Manassas, Virginia, partaking of fine stogies and good quality human camaraderie.
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